A Weekend in Addo Elephant National Park

Our owner and his wife recently spent three days in the famous Addo Elephant National Park. Regular visits to game reserves and wildlife parks are just one of the many perks that come with being the owner of a travel agency in South Africa. This is what he had to say about his stay in the National Park:

I spent last weekend in Addo Elephant National Park with my wife and as usual, I was completely blown away. The best time to see elephants is when there has been little rain and the weather is baking hot, as the elephants need to leave the bush and make for the waterholes. Sadly for us, the weekend was a rather rainy and chilly one so the elephant sightings were scarce. However, we were lucky enough to see huge amounts of buffalo, many herds of kudu and both prides of Addo lions – which was an absolute treat!

Over the past 21 years of living in Port Elizabeth, we have been regular visitors to Addo National Park and we are pleased to see that the latest expansions have brought the Park less than 30 minutes away from home. Addo has increased 13 times in size over the many years and now spans more than 180 000 hectares. It is South Africa’s third largest National Park and has the most animals per kilometre in the entire country. One of the things I appreciate most about Addo Park is the fact that a number of our visitors have helped expand the Park and aided in funding one of the Worlds’ greatest conservations.

Buffalo herd at Gorah Camp

We spent our first night at Woodall Country House, which is my wife’s favourite lodge. My favourite thing about Woodall is being able to sit on the wooden deck and overlook the large dam. It’s busier than the M6 on a Bank Holiday and there are so many birds that they make their own symphony.

Our last night was spent at Gorah Elephant Camp, a large concession within the Park that offers accommodation in an old farmhouse and luxury tents. The history of Gorah goes way back to the first Settlers in the early 1800’s, when the Main Farmhouse was built by a Johannes Vermaak. The camp became a very successful farm, despite the constant interaction with elephants, but during the Second World War the camp fell on hard times and had to be abandoned. To give you some sort of idea, below is an image of what the abandoned farmstead looked like before it was renovated in 2001. Compare that with what it looks like today – a fantastically restored safari lodge made possible by guests and visitors.

The last time I visited Gorah was when I camped in the Main Rest Camp some 15 years ago. I remember being amazed at the sight of 60 buffalo relaxing by the Harpor Dam, which at the time was the Park’s entire buffalo population! This time around, my wife and I counted 200 buffalo walking past us as we sat on the veranda. It was simply incredible.

As wonderful as the Eastern Cape game reserves are, Addo National Park is just as fantastic. So the next time you are planning a safari trip to our side of the woods, please do think about including a visit to the famous Elephant National Park. Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] for a free quote.

Have a look at our Facebook Album to see some of the photos I took during the trip.

Cassidy Pautz is the Social Media and Content Manager for East Cape Tours. She studied in Port Elizabeth, where she received her BA Degree in Media, Communication and Culture. When she doesn't have a glass of wine in her hand or her nose in a book, you'll find her in the kitchen, cooking up a storm and presumably making a mess.